Educational game

ABSTRACT

An educational game for the teaching of multiplication in a competitive game of skill, utilizing a special game board, a deck of special playing cards, and a set of distinctively colored markers. The game board is square in shape, with a series of circles imprinted thereon such that the circles are aligned along imaginary lines parallel to the perpendicular sides of the board. Each such circle is marked with a number representing the product of two factors. This number is located about the periphery of the circle at four different locations and is positioned so that at each location it is oriented parallel to a different one of the four sides of the board. Each circle is divided into segments each segment identified by a different color corresponding to the color of one player&#39;&#39;s markers. The deck of playing cards consists of a quantity of playing cards of an equal or greater number than the quantity of circles marked on the board, with each playing card marked with two factors which when multiplied represent a product encircled on the game board. The players each draw a card in turn, and each attempts to identify the correct numeral - marked circle on the playing board that represents the product of the two factors shown on the card that he has drawn. A marker, identified with the player, is placed over each circle that is correctly identified.

United States Patent June 4, 1974 Stratton 1 EDUCATIONAL GAME [75] Inventor: Willis T. Stratton, Camarillo, Calif.

[73] Assignee: The Raymond Lee Organization,

Inc., New York, NY. a part interest [22] Filed: Feb. 13, 1973 [21] Appl. No.1 332,235

[52] US. Cl. 273/135 B, 273/135 AC [51] Int. Cl. A63f 3/06 [58] Field of Search..... 273/135 R, 135 A, 135 AB,

273/135 B, 135 AC H1926 France 273/135 B Primary Examiner-Richard C. Pinkham Assistant Examiner-Paul E.. Shapiro Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Howard l. Podell [57] ABSTRACT An educational game for the teaching of multiplication in a competitive game of skill, utilizing a special game board, a deck of special playing cards, and a set of distinctively colored markers.

The game board is square in shape, with a series of circles imprinted thereon such that the circles are aligned along imaginary lines parallel to the perpendicular'sides of the board. Each such circle is marked with a number representing the product of two factors. This number is located about the periphery of the circle at four different locations and is positioned so that at each location it is oriented parallel to a difierent one of the four sides of the board. Each circle is divided into segments each segment identified by a different color corresponding to the color of one players markers. The deck of playing cards consists of a quantity of playing cards of an equal or greater number than the quantity of circles marked on the board, with each playing card marked with two factors which when multiplied represent a product encircled on the game board.

The players each draw a card in turn, and each attempts to identify the correct numeral marked circle on the playing board that represents the product of the two factors shown on the card that he has drawn. A marker, identified with the player, is placed over each circle that is correctly identified.

2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures GRFEN BLUE GREEN RED . ORANGE EDUCATIONAL GAME BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of Invention This invention relates to an educational game for the teaching of multiplication skills in competitive situation, utilizing a game board, playing cards and markers.

2. Prior Art Multiplication is customarily taught to children utilizing multiplication tables in which each of the two sets of factors are marked on each of the respective perpendicular axes of a chart, with the resulting products being listed in the rectangular grid portion of the chart where lines drawn from the two factors intersect.

The advantage of this game is that a competitive situation is created, and the display of the game board simplified so as to show in random order only the multiplication products. The playing cards are each marked with a pair of factors, which multiplied together will produce one of the displayed products marked on the board. A set of playing cards will include several cards displaying difi'erent pairs of factors which each form the identical product of one of the marked circles of the playing board.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention consists of a competitive educational game, utilizing a game board marked with circles, each of which is identified by a number representing a product of two factors. A deck of playing cards is utilized in which each card displays a pair of factors which when multiplied together, produce a product displayed on the game board. A set of markers, suitably identified, is provided each player, who in turn draws a playing card and attempts to identify the product of the factors shown on his playing card. When properly identified with a displayed product on the game board which has not been previously marked, the player covers that numbered circle on the game board with one of his markers. Scoring of the game may credit each player with the number of his markers on the-filled game board, and with the sum of the numerical value of the numbers on the playing board, so marked.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The objects and features of the invention may be understood with reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention, taken together with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. I is a plan view of the game board;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of three of the playing cards;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the playing cards and card holder; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the markers and marker holder.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several .views, FIG. 1 illustrates the game board 10, in the form of a square, with each of the four borders 11 colored distinctively from the other borders 11 so as to identify the playing color of the player seated alongside that border. The board is marked with 31 circles 20, with each circle identified by numerals 26 which represent a product of two factors. The numerals 26 which identify each circle are printed in four different positions about each circle 20 so that an erect numeral 26 is readily visible to each of four players seated about the four borders of the game board 10.

Each circle 20 of the playing board is divided into four quadrants 29 by intersecting perpendicular lines 27 and 28 with each quadrant 29 colored in one of the four colors used on the borders 11, such that the identifying color of a border 11 is similar to the identifying color of a quadrant 29 adjoining anerect numeral 26 when viewed from the position of the border 11 of the same color, with the said numeral 29 identifying the circle 20 of the quadrant 29. Four distinct colors blue, red, green and orange are used for this purpose.

As shown in FIG. 2-3, a deck 30 of playing cards is utilized, with the back side 13 of each .playing card being of a uniform marking, and withthe face side, 12 of each playing card marked with the numerals of two factors 34 and 35. Each of the two factors 34. and 35 may be marked in distinct colors from the other factor on the same face 12. The factors of playing card 31 are identified as two eights, the factors of playing card 32 are identified as three sevens and the factors of playing card 33 identified as four sixs. The deck 30 of cards a are stacked in a playing stand 40 adapted to holding two parts of a deck of cards in two separate compartments formed by notching the inside corners 39 of the four corners past members 38 and the inside corners 42 of the two side post members 41. A box 43 holds four sets of markers 44, with each of the four sets of markers 44 being colored in one of the identifying colors of the borders 1 1, so that each player uses that set of markers 44 that corresponds, in color, with the color of the border ll of the game board before which he is seated.

- The game is played by placing the deck of cards 30 with the faces 12 in the down position in one of the compartments of the playing stand 40. One player draws a card and places it face side 12 up, in the adjoining compartment of the playing stand 40. He examines the factors 34 and 35 displayed on the card he had drawn and attempts to find a circle 20 on the game board 10 which is identified by the numerals of the product of the factors 34 and 35 displayed on the face 12 of the card he drew. He places a marker 44 on such a circle 20 if it has not been previously covered by another players marker. If he has made an improper selection, the next player removes the placed 'marker, and in turn places his marker on the correct circle.

Variations in playing procedure and in scoring may be employed depending upon the age and skill of the players, with the more skilled players receiving a score based not only on the number of markers that they have placed on the board, but on the sum of the products 26 which identify such circles as they have covered. The sophisticated players may utilize a scoring method which also rewards or penalizes a player who places a given number of markers in a straight line, or forms some other distinctive pattern.

The number of circles 20 with identifying product numerals 26 shown in the game board 10 may be increased or reduced from the quantity shown on FIG. I, in accordance with the skill of the players and the factors displayed on the playing cards.

Since obvious changes may be made in the specific embodiment of the invention described herein, such modifications being within the spirit and scope of the invention claimed, it is indicated that all matter contained herein is intended as illustrative and not as limiting in scope.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An educational game for the teaching of multiplication in a competitive game of skill utilizing a rectangular-shaped game board and playing cards distinctively marked for the purpose and a set of playing pieces, with each playing card marked with numerals that indicate two factors that when multiplied together result in a product represented on the game board, and with the playing pieces being identified by distinctive markings, such that each player utilizes a set of markers which are identified by the distinctive markings as belonging to that player; each distinctive marked area on the game board being identified' by four sets of similar numerals positioned so that one of each set of such numerals is oriented parallel to one of the borders of the game board. with a segment of each marked area identified by a distinctive markings which is similar to the distinctive markings of one player's playing pieces, and with each border. of the game board being also distinctively marked so as to correspond to the distinctive markings of one players pieces, such that each player positioned at the border which is identified with his playing pieces will see a set of numerals in the erect position on the playing board, with each such erect numeral located adjacent the segment of each marked area on the playing board that is identified with the markings of his playing pieces and his border area. 2. The combination, as recited in claim 1 in which the distinctive marking that identifies a players pieces, border position and product area on the game board is in the form of a distinctive color marking. 

1. An educational game for the teaching of multiplication in a competitive game of skill utilizing a rectangular-shaped game board and playing cards distinctively marked for the purpose and a set of playing pieces, with each playing card marked with numerals that indicate two factors that when multiplied together result in a product represented on the game board, and with the playing pieces being identified by distinctive markings, such that each player utilizes a set of markers which are identified by the distinctive markings as belonging to that player; each distinctive marked area on the game board being identified by four sets of similar numerals positioned so that one of each set of such numerals is oriented parallel to one of the borders of the game board, with a segment of each marked area identified by a distinctive markings which is similar to the distinctive markings of one player''s playing pieces, and with each border of the game board being also distinctively marked so as to correspond to the distinctive markings of one player''s pieces, such that each player positioned at the border which is identified with his playing pieces will see a set of numerals in the erect position on the playing board, with each such erect numeral located adjacent the segment of each marked area on the playing board that is identified with the markings of his playing pieces and his border area.
 2. The combination, as recited in claim 1 in which the distinctive marking that identifies a player''s pieces, border position and product area on the game board is in the form of a distinctive color marking. 